The Last Winesday with Gary Vee: 2008 Priest Ranch Petite Sirah

As many of you may have heard, yesterday marked Gary Vaynerchuk's official retirement from producing regular video wine content. 

As the host and creator of Wine Library TV and more recently the Daily Grape, Gary has had much to do with changing the wine world over the past 5 years. His irreverent style and down to earth approach to wine appealed to many, including myself. I feel fortunate to have spent some time with Gary and it was a wonderful opportunity and experience writing for Cork'd, his wine content website.

Gary was, and no doubt continues to be, a proponent of experiencing "the world of wine" and has always encouraged wine lovers to be adventurous and think outside the house Pinot Grigio. On that note, I am happy to leave you with his last Winesday pick for The Glamorous Gourmet, a delightful, yet often overlooked wine: Petite Sirah. I am sure great things are in store for Gary and wish him the best. Without further ado, here's his take on the 2008 Priest Ranch Petite Sirah.

"There are few grapes that have the niche-yet-passionate following of Petite Sirah. Just this past weekend, a group of Petite Sirah tragics gathered at the sold-out PS I Love You symposium in Livermore, California to celebrate this inky, tannic, all-too-often ignored grape. Sometimes known as Durif, Petite Sirah brings incredible structure and age-worthy character to the table in warmer climates across California, Australia, France, and even Israel. This Napa Valley interpretation from Priest Ranch brings tremendous amounts of thunder, with fruit from Somerston Estate, which in the past has sold their fruit to big-boys like Ramey, Caymus, Duckhorn and Viader. If Priest Ranch continues to churn out this kind of quality, then they need to be on your radar screen."

Gary's tasting note: Big nose with cranberries, blueberries, and other dark fruit flavors, along with a cedar and creme fraiche play. On the palate, the cherries and tannins step to the forefront and deliver an incredibly balanced, dark and well structured Petite Sirah. This will pair with most beef dishes and will last 15 years, no problem.
2008 Priest Ranch Petite Sirah
100% Petite Sirah
90 points
$45 MSRP